How often do we hear this….

How about a round of applause to this parent and give her a 2 thumbs up for posting this picture. It is time to start showing off those parenting skills that actually make a difference instead of accepting her every tantrum.

It is time to put the foot down and stop saying that everyone gets a trophy and every child is entitled to an iPad, laptops, video games and endless social “things”.

Not everyone will support the parents in deciding to have their child hold the sign. That some how her rights to do what she wants are being violated. To all of you who think this is wrong, I say, “Really!” You need to think about who she will be when she gets older if not shown what is not appropriate behavior.

Here’s the thing….parents NEED to start parenting and stop acting worse than their children. They need to stand up and parent. No one said having children is easy. Parenting means holding them accountable for their actions. It is hard work BUT if done with a loving heart and a firm hand, they might just grow up and actually do something that can change the world.

The other day I wanted to say something about how I felt about a particular topic and found myself hesitating. I was contemplating what I was going to say. For the first time I was giving serious thought to the words I wanted to share. I argued in my head and felt the two sides of me debating, “How will they react to my words?”

I became my own referee and shouted out, “Enough, you can say what you want…it is your right.” But somehow the little one sitting on one of my shoulders just shook his head. Still holding his head he declared, “Are you sure? Think about all those who may not listen to you, read your stuff or start saying nasty things about you. What will you do then?” I stopped and thought.

On one hand I am glad for the voice inside me that makes me stop. It often keeps me from getting into the trouble I really do not want to have around me. But on the other hand when something strikes me with a passion and I feel compelled to scream it out to the world, that voice seems to silenced before it can even make it out of my head out of respect to those I may offend.

So, once again I feel drawn to ask, what is right and what is wrong? Should I really care what others think? Do I disregard their feelings for a moment of time? Or do I consider that I have the ability to influence others who may not have taken the time to research a situation and make their own mature decisions.

Nowadays the lines are getting blurred and I, as the referee I am not sure. The two dudes sitting on my shoulders seemed to be arguing all the time now. As the referee I can only blow the whistle and tell them to stop, enough is enough. We are smarter than this. Time to respect each other and recognize differences.

There seems to be a lot of different opinions running around on the web lately. At first I did not give it any thought. I figured, that is what all of us are able to do, give different perspectives and ideas on what we think is right . But in the process of my trolling the web, I seem to be reading a lot of comments that are harsh. Some have even generated petitions against what someone else thought was funny, humorous and/or entertaining.

Now a days there is a larger audience to share our thoughts and with that comes responsibility. It also can expose unwanted, unfounded “experts” on how right or wrong the thought is. So it begs the question, who is right? By what standards or level of responsibility do we own when we say what we want?

Each day the rhetoric appears to be a spiraling out of control of what is acceptable to one and not the other. Each person has the right to voice what they want but at what level of engagement does respecting the other side begin? By whose guidelines should each person understand that when debating, arguing or passionately stating an opinion be acceptable?

All that can be said from my point of view is that if one is going to present an opinion, do so with knowing that not everyone is going to agree. Also, look at the source that the information is coming from, it is for entertainment, political, satirical, or another form of writing that is presenting a thought. Know the source, do your homework before passionately condemning the writer. Viewing the web from this perspective could assist in the process of cooling one’s head before spewing one’s own comments.

Over the last couple of days I will admit that things have not gone the way of positive, fluffy, blue skies thinking. So, it was decided to expand our current local horizons and attempt to journey beyond the four corners of our fenced in area.

I miss home, my home, the United States. Yes, I said it, I admit. But, who am I to complain? I have traveled to many different places that most Americans will never have the opportunity to go. What do you do when you want a little taste of home?

How about a visit to… McDonald’s. Somehow by stepping into the Mc Cafe you are transported back to the United States and able to think about home as you order a Big Mac (aka -XXL American burger). Instead of ordering a Coke, I decided to order something different and new, Bubble Tea. This drink would “bubble” my spirits.

Kind of silly, I will agree but I figured I needed to embrace the newness of a new drink and then watch the commercial again and again on German television to appreciate how not only in the United States do they overkill new products but they do it here too.

I am afraid that I am becoming one of those Military wives that just sit at home, eat and complain about how terrible everything has become. I can hear a collective, “No, not you!”

But it’s true, I am finding myself sitting here and trolling the internet for stories and crying at odd ball articles that I find. Telling myself that I am, “doing research” when really all I am doing is trying to fill my time till he comes home. I used to work but no more because of the budget cuts. I know, work anywhere, but finding something on the German economy is not an easy task to do. An excuse, maybe, but I must say I now have more sympathy for those who find themselves sitting around and wondering what to do. What do you do when you have too much time but nowhere to feel included?

Naturally, the television becomes your buddy, the couch becomes you napping station and the refrigerator becomes the closest friend you have by providing the comfort goodies for your soul. The cycle clearly needs to be stopped. So, cleaning your house becomes the next order of business. If you are relatively a neat person, that lasts about an hour…..then, what do you do?

By now I have read about all sorts of different names given to Military wives that people reference and yeah, I too had names for some of them. But now I am not so sure it is really their fault that they are what they are because I too have joined their ranks. I am not sure what “title” you could give me but I will admit it may be well deserved.

My husband and I were walking down the street this weekend when we noticed a Burger King bag tossed on the ground. The bag was opened and the paper contents, left over ketchup packages and the cup with a straw were tossed all over the sidewalk. I began to wonder, did someone drop it by mistake? Or was it tossed out the window with the words, “Someone else can pick up my mess.”

I kept walking towards the bag fuming because regardless on how the bag got there, someone needed to pick it up; that someone should be us. What if, we did not want to pick up the mess? What if, we just walked by the mess and pretend it was not there? We did not make it, we should not have to pick it up…..that seemed reasonable, logical and no one would blame us…or would they?

It sees that no one takes charge of their own messes anymore. That the idea of leaving them for someone else to take care of has become main stream and acceptable. Taking charge and doing the right thing, even if it is hard, does not seem to be heroic anymore. My mind was spinning out of control when I heard…

“I will get it”, my husband said as he bent over and started to collect the ketchup bags before our dog scoffed them down. “Not sure why someone would do this, it is not hard to find a can to put everything into but…” his voice trailed off as he picked everything up.

Some messes are easy to be picked up. They just take a little effort . I was proud of my husband, he took charge. He made me feel like we had done something really good.

I think I saw it first but not sure, so I looked over and saw him looking at it too. The dirty diaper was right in front of us but we kept walking. Some messes can not be picked up.

When I say something, I mean it. All I wanted to do is walk my dog, look around and feel like I somehow do not live with a bunch of self-absorbed, halo-wearing twenty-year old entitlement ridden brats.

I was enjoying walking my dog, my day was going fine until I saw Little Miss Bouncy coming towards me with her dog.